Why we love it: Its extra-large dust cup is super easy to remove and the HEPA filter minimizes allergens emitted while vacuuming.

The base station isn’t that pretty either, so you’ll need to hide it away. The setup is straightforward though, using a slick app which is easily accessed by a QR code.

This pint-sized but powerful robovac is perfect for small homes – and it just dropped to less than half price

One of the big benefits of a Roomba is that they're relatively slim in height, meaning they can venture places other bots can't. On test, we found this one was especially good at handling pet hair, with its grippy rubbery rollers.

We would recommend choosing the version with the self-emptying charging base. It sounds like a jet engine when it’s emptying, but the bin holds weeks’ worth of dust and makes the robot basically fully autonomous.

A multi-map function means it can clean different floors - unlike most robot vacuums on the market. Obviously, the robovac needs to be carried up the stairs, but this is a big improvement on other robot vacuums, which are usually limited to a single floor.

The Eureka J20 is the best robot vacuum for hard floors, thanks to a game-changing new 'RollRenew' mop style. With most robovacs, mopping is a bit of an afterthought, but that's not the case here.

The object-recognition function meant it successfully avoided toys, piles of laundry and whatever else was left out on the floor. It mounted thick rugs with ease, too.

We'll dig into the app and gauge how well-designed, usable and intuitive it is, and how much control it offers. We'll also test any specific performance claims made by the manufacturer, as well as checking out any special features like built-in voice assistants and camera surveillance.

Who it's best for: If you have a busy schedule and pelo time to clean your floors, this is our favorite robot vacuum. It can suck up dry debris, spot clean small areas and pick up pet hair, all while remembering floor layouts.

We look at how well the vacuums remove large and small debris, like gritty sand and dried orzo pasta, from hard flooring, how well they clean along edges and how much suction they draw through the tools.

Robot vacuums and mops are some of the most advanced appliances we test here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, so we have high expectations, but even we’re still sometimes surprised by the innovations.

We test fine dirt pickup by sprinkling a mix of flour and cookie crumbs on the floor, and large debris pickup using oats.

The mopping tank is small, so Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners you’ll need to refill it with detergent fairly frequently if you use it routinely. The app lets you reduce the amount of water being used, to help extend the mopping function further between refills.